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Upcoming events IMBA Uprising WHEN March 22-24 WHERE Bentonville WHAT IS IT? Program aimed at getting more women in- volved in the sport. Ozark Mountain Bike Festival WHEN April 6-8 WHERE Devil's Den State Park WHAT IS IT? 30th annual mountain biking festival at the birthplace of mountain biking in Northwest Arkansas. IMBA Dirty 30 WHEN June 22-24 WHERE Bentonville WHAT IS IT? Celebration of the 30th anniversary of the International Mountain Biking Association. NICA Conference WHEN June 14-15 WHERE Bentonville WHAT IS IT? Coaching and volunteer training for the Na- tional Interscholastic Cycling League program. Oz Trails Off Road WHEN Oct. 5-7 WHERE Bentonville/Bella Vista WHAT IS IT? Three days of competition racing with more than $160,000 in cash for the winners. Outerbike WHEN Oct. 26-28 WHERE Bentonville WHAT IS IT? Test the latest bikes and cycling gear during this three-day festival. Pick a bike and test it out. Must have a ticket to demo bikes. Slaughter Pen Jam WHEN Nov. 3-4 WHERE Bentonville WHAT IS IT? Annual moun- tain biking festival at the Slaughter Pen trails. Will also include events for the tiny cy- clers as well. to experience the opportuni- ties in the summer months when ski resorts transform into mountain biking desti- nations. BikeNWA launched in 1999 as the Bicycle Coalition of the Ozarks and works to support and amplify local bike organi- zations and meets with local elected officials to advocate for better bike infrastructure and bike-friendly policies. Roberts, like other long- time residents, is amazed at how rapidly the trail system expanded. "We've had a rich history in the region for decades, like Devil's Den, so we've always had the culture in the Fay- etteville area," Roberts said. "With the investment in the trails by the Walton Family Foundation, and the cities as well supporting that, we now have enough to attract people to come here and visit wheth - er it's for a weekend, spring break or a trip over Christ- mas break, it now has enough trails to offer." MANY CHOICES Other factors are helping make the area a major attrac- tion, said David Wright, the director of Bentonville Parks and Recreation. While others noted top mountain biking destinations offer great soft-surface trails, bikers often have to drive 20- 30 miles to reach the trails. That is not the case in North- west Arkansas, Wright said. "You have about a hundred miles of trail available to you from the Bentonville square," he said. "That connectivity is unlike anything else you have anywhere. Here, you have people jumping on their bike in their driveway — their driveway is their trailhead, so to speak — and they are able to hop on our single-track trails and go get a 50-mile ride in without ever having to get in a car." The 36-mile Razorback Greenway is the major con- nector from Fayetteville to Bella Vista. From points on the Greenway, mountain bik- ers can shoot off to soft-sur- face trails at Lake Fayetteville, Slaughter Pen and the new Back 40 in Bella Vista. Minkel said there are more than 300 miles of trails in Northwest Arkansas. "You have mountain bik- ing trails in places like Dev- il's Den, which is a state park and that is wonderful. But here, because it connects to a much broader trail system, you can hop on your bike from your house and then hop on the Greenway or nat- ural surface trails," she said. "That uniqueness has attract- ed international organizations like the International Moun- tain Biking Association. That is what has generated a lot of the coverage that we get." The relatively mild climate is part of the marketing strate- gy that riders can hit the trails virtually 365 days a year. Another bonus is the close proximity of the trails to downtown restaurants, pubs, live music and more. Within minutes, riders can exit the dirt trails, hop off their bike and grab a bite to eat and a cold beverage to wash it down without having to load the bike and drive. Roberts is on a leadership committee to determine the economic impact of the grow- ing activity. The foundation is paying for the study. Full details will be released later this year. "We found more than half the people coming to ride mountain bikes in Ben- tonville and Bella Vista were from outside the region," Roberts said. "So that's bring- ing in tax dollars because you can't drive a couple hun- dred miles and ride without spending money before or after, whether it's gas, din- ner, food, lunch, so that has a direct economic impact." MORE TO COME New projects are in the works. The Cohler Mountain Biking Preserve, a 300-acre tract in Bentonville will have 16 miles of soft surface trails and connect to the Razorback Greenway. A host of ameni- ties are planned, including two barns that will be con- verted into gathering places for cyclists and hikers. Fayetteville recently an- nounced an agreement with the foundation to buy land on the southeast side of the city that will be called Moun- tain Ranch. The soft-surface trails will not be far from the Kessler Mountain trail system and the Razorback Greenway will connect both areas. Wright said communities are working together. "We're promoting the re- gion, not just our trails. We see value in a person who will travel to Northwest Ar- kansas and ride the trails ev- erywhere," he said. Williamson, who works closely with the National Interscholastic Cycling As- sociation, of which there is a growing youth mountain bik- ing league in Arkansas, said the International Mountain Biking Association continues to seek more opportunities for women and youth. Bentonville will host the IMBA Women's Uprising later this month, a program aimed at getting more wom- en involved, not just as riders, but designing and building more trails. Bentonville will also host the Dirty 30 in June, a celebration of the associa- tion's 30th anniversary. W i l l i a m s o n s a i d t h e group is committed to intro- ducing more young riders to the sport. "If we don't give kids a place to play on their bikes to- day, they won't be adults who value and protect the places to ride tomorrow," he said. "Riding on dirt is appealing to kids ages 6-17 and we have to provide places for them to do that." Chip Souza can be reached at csouza@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWAChip. Biking v Continued from Page 1U NWA Democrat-Gazette graphic "All that combined means the people who put apart- ments close to these ameni- ties tend to do a lot better," Jebaraj said. Student-housing devel- opment serves a separate market, according to Jebaraj. How fast enrollment grows dictates what gets built, he said. Fall 2017 enrollment was 27,500 students at the university, up from 21,400 for fall 2010. As far as what's being built where, CBRE lists at least nine major apartment proj- ects completed or in devel- opment in Bentonville since 2013. Walton Crossings, with 600 units at Southeast 28th and Southeast C streets, is set to wrap this year. Jebaraj said Bentonville and Rogers have a lower base to work off of than Fayette- ville. When considering an- nounced projects for the next few years, Bentonville and Rogers should add 40 percent to 50 percent of their current inventory of apartments, he said. Fayetteville likely will add about 12 percent to 15 per - cent of its current inventory, Jebaraj said. Bentonville and Rogers each have about 5,000 units, according to the Skyline Re- port from the economic re- search center. Fayetteville has more than 19,000. Springdale has about 6,400 units. The center counts more than 36,000 units throughout the region because it factors in complexes with fewer than 100 units as well, unlike CBRE. Lindsey & Associates is building a complex with 31 three-story buildings on more than 25 acres along Southeast C Street between Southeast 22nd and Southeast 28th streets in Bentonville, just over two miles south of the downtown square. The city approved building permits for the complex in January. Brick Avenue Lofts is an- other new Bentonville devel- opment set to bring 252 units off Southeast J Street, near Walmart's new home office. Sarah King with Specialized Real Estate Group, which is behind the Brick Avenue Lofts project and Uptown Fayetteville Apartments on Steele Boulevard, said devel- opers see opportunities when new economic ventures at- tract more people to the area. A need for housing exists across Northwest Arkansas, especially in walkable pock- ets of cities, King said. Build- ing within a city's core, rather than out on its edges, leads to a higher quality of life, she said. A growing population means more development and housing, King said. "It's going to go some- where," she said. "It's time for us to be smart about where it goes and to understand that by saying yes to responsible development we're also pro- tecting the countrysides that we all love so much." Stacy Ryburn can be reached by email at sryburn@nwadg.com or on Twitter @stacyryburn. Rental v Continued from Page 1U NWA Democrat-Gazette/DAVID GOTTSCHALK Sela Sparks, leasing consultant at Uptown Fayetteville Apart- ments, takes a ride on the Sound Swings at Uptown, a work by Craig Colorusso, near the community garden and Mud Creek Trail at Uptown Fayetteville Apartments. The performance arts scene is growing as fast as the population, with productions reflective of the varying tastes in Northwest Arkan- sas. The late '80s and early '90s had no shortage of theater's greatest hits on local stages. The Walton Arts Center, Rogers Little Theatre, Arts Center of the Ozarks and University of Arkansas showcased staples from Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams and Shakespeare along with con - temporary hits like Cats. Arts Live Theatre, a nonprofit children's and youth company, has been around for more than 30 years. By the mid-2000s, regional pro- fessional theater arrived via The- atreSquared. Groups such as Artists Laboratory Theatre, Shakespeare troupe Crude Mechanicals and Op- era Fayetteville have since popped up. Rogers Little Theatre became Arkansas Public Theatre. Another community theater, Pilot Arts, be- gan at the end of last year. The Momentary, a visual and performing arts space affiliated with Crystal Bridges Museum of Amer- ican Art, is set to open in the old Kraft Foods building in downtown Bentonville by early 2020. Th e Wa l to n A r t s Ce n te r 's 30,000-square-foot expansion opened in November 2016 and al- lows for more lavish productions with a bigger back of the house. An expanded and renovated Starr The- ater has made more performances possible, mainly music, and at the same time as shows on the main stage. TheatreSquared's $31.5 million building is on track to open by the 2019-2020 season. Designed by Mar- vel Architects and Charcoalblue, the building will feature two theaters, a rehearsal space, offices, education STACY RYBURN NWA DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE Thespians: Competition creates ecosystem, not drama File photo/NWA Democrat-Gazette/ANDY SHUPE Construction continues on the new home for TheatreSquared, a local indepen- dent theater company, south of the Walton Arts Center in downtown Fayetteville. LIVE THEATER v Continued on next page Types of theater in NWA The region offers a variety of live performances to audiences of all kinds. Presenting institution: Something like the Walton Arts Center, bringing touring shows to its venues. Community theater: Performances are by volunteer actors, with auditions open to the public. Arkansas Public Theatre and Arts Center of the Ozarks fall in this category. Professional theater: Actors, direc - tors and designers are all paid for their work, have trained professionally and work in theater as a career. Think The- atreSquared. Educational theater: Performances are by students. Some, like University theater, are students training to be professionals. Others feature performances by youth, such as Arts Live. Fringe theater: A do-it-yourself type of production; performances may travel to different venues. Akin to a band playing at a house show. Source: Staff Report 2U v SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2018 ∂ ∂ Live & Play Having Problems Wearing Your CPAP? Diplomate of American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine Ken Berley, DDS 5417 Pinnacle Point Drive Suite 200 | Rogers, AR 479-254-0200 www.DrKenBerley.com Our offi ce provides a dental appliance that opens your airway at night and treats sleep apnea without a CPAP. This treatment is covered by most medical insurance companies and Medicare. Call us today to fi nd out how to improve your sleep. It could be as simple as wearing a dental appliance. Dr. Berley is the only Board Certifi ed Dental Sleep Medicine Dentist in Northwest Arkansas. 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